Why is religion so popular?

eek. · May 27, 2005

Thought this hit it on the head for me.

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Quick thought on the 'need' for belief in Heaven and the afterlife - it provides a back door out of the negative feedback loop created within an organism hardwired to preserve its own existence, but acutely aware, by virtue of its large brain, of its own mortality.

As far as we can be aware, (wo)mankind is the only being privileged with the knowledge of their own certain doom...This creates an impossible tension between the survival instinct, and meaningful, goal-oriented behaviour, and knowledge - it's largely pointless, 'cos 'you' are doomed. How can this be? Simple - you 'go on' after your death, in a lovely place where the tea is always milky. It's a compelling idea that enables life to go on without too much furrowing of the brow and hand wringing.

http://www.barbelith.com/topic/16380/from/40

blueedwards · May 27, 2005

yes, man created God.

a little girl was walking through a mall with tears in her eyes. a smart, nice man stops his shopping and asks her, "what's wrong sweetheart?" she answers, "i can't find my mom". he responds "come on little girl, you have no mother". she says, " yes i do. she drove me here. i live with her at my house. i have lived there since she took me home from the hospital where i was born 5 years ago". "nonsense" then man replies. "we all know mothers dont exist. they are just an idea we created in our own minds to make us feel like someone cares about us. now, get that notion out of your head. you are in this mall by random chance. no one drove you here. you are here for no reason and you will die here. so, you might as well get used to it. start shopping now because all that you see around you in these stores is all there is".

JudgeWapner · May 27, 2005

Even if there is no God, life is hardly pointless. It's a wonderful gift to be fully enjoyed.

JinnRikki · May 27, 2005

blue edwards said:
yes, man created God.

a little girl was walking through a mall with tears in her eyes. a smart, nice man stops his shopping and asks her, "what's wrong sweetheart?" she answers, "i can't find my mom". he responds "come on little girl, you have no mother". she says, " yes i do. she drove me here. i live with her at my house. i have lived there since she took me home from the hospital where i was born 5 years ago". "nonsense" then man replies. "we all know mothers dont exist. they are just an idea we created in our own minds to make us feel like someone cares about us. now, get that notion out of your head. you are in this mall by random chance. no one drove you here. you are here for no reason and you will die here. so, you might as well get used to it. start shopping now because all that you see around you in these stores is all there is".

You have to be kidding. Do you get a lot of converts with this analogy?

blueedwards · May 27, 2005

JinnRikki said:
You have to be kidding. Do you get a lot of converts with this analogy?

this analogy was just made to show how ridiculous it is to assume that the girl has no mother. even if she grew up in an orphanage, she would know that her mother was out there somewhere. she would likley wonder what she was like and possiblely want to know her. the desire to know her mother stems from the fact that she has a mother. if the notion of mothers was invented, would she have this desire?

blueedwards · May 27, 2005

JinnRikki said:
You have to be kidding. Do you get a lot of converts with this analogy?

1) not keeping score

2) just came up with this analogy as i typed it on this thread. maybe need to tweak it a bit to better make my point.

wolfie_cr · May 27, 2005

"this analogy was just made to show how ridiculous it is to assume that the girl has no mother. "

not necessarily , it could also have been magically conceived or made up from the rib of a man

WildBill · May 27, 2005

Someone just has to solve this riddle for me. If man was created by God and has been on this Earth for many thousands of years, why was it only 2000 years ago God decided he needed a son to teach lessons to the people?

JudgeWapner · May 27, 2005

WB, he needed someone to have a catch with.

blueedwards · May 27, 2005

WildBill said:
Someone just has to solve this riddle for me. If man was created by God and has been on this Earth for many thousands of years, why was it only 2000 years ago God decided he needed a son to teach lessons to the people?

the real question is not why did it take so long. the real question is "is Jesus really the son of God". if he is then, why he came when he did is not nearly as important as what he said and did.

JinnRikki · May 27, 2005

Judge Wapner said:
WB, he needed someone to have a catch with.

:lolBIG: good one Judge.

t3a · May 27, 2005

WildBill said:
why was it only 2000 years ago God decided he needed a son to teach lessons to the people?

How do we know what happened 7,000 or 10,000 years ago? From drawings on the walls of caves? Maybe someone was here trying to teach people lessons then also but we don't know it

For that matter how do we know what is in a book or from stories passed down from 2000 years is even accurate?

blueedwards · May 27, 2005

t3a said:
For that matter how do we know what is in a book or from stories passed down from 2000 years is even accurate?

now that's the right type of question to be asking...

SVT_Cobra · May 27, 2005

I got your email Blue, I just haven't had the time to reply to it.

In all due respect, the logical question would be who is God's mother then? And I already know the answer that God has always existed and that we can not understand some things.

I will go into detail in an email.

To let you know, I did not believe in God before, but I do now. But I still have problems with things in the "book".

SmallDaddy · May 27, 2005

Religion is popular becasue most people feel helpless. Religion feels that void

wolfie_cr · May 28, 2005

People is afraid of the unknown, what's after death (if anything) is most certainly unknown, so was the reason why sometimes rained (or not), there were earthquakes (or not), there were eclipses (or not) etc etc. So in the mean time let's fill the unknown with explanations on how it all works and how we can make it all better for us

We can make it better for us if we offer sacrificies to the right gods.......do what they want.......and what they want......is open for a variety of interpretations

As time goes by.....more knowledgeable people exists (now that is a hope........) and the gods turn into God in its different flavors, they all claim to be right and all HAVE (And let's not be naive about this by using selective arguments) different values, teachings and ways to transcend into something that won't die with our body (nice idea actually)

In the mean time those that follow each religion use circular arguments to "show us" how they are right and the rest of the world is wrong, "my book" is better than your book because "my book claims it is and it will never be tampered with" etc, it also serves nice politic movements.....and when someone doesn't like what their current flavor teaches......well let's create a new branch! , it's so easy to reinterpret things to our ideas that noone will notice

A little TOO complicated...........sounds like SOMEONE(s) is telling us what to do through religion!

wolfie_cr · May 28, 2005

"

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by t3a
For that matter how do we know what is in a book or from stories passed down from 2000 years is even accurate?
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

now that's the right type of question to be asking..."

it IS accurate...because the book says it is so!!!!!!! (example of circular reasoning :hanging:

another one "the real question is not why did it take so long. " .......= your question is not important little one........just be quiet and ask the questions that I like which incidentally .........are answered also how I like as per my book (note it applies to all religions, not just "THE" religion)

wolfie_cr · May 28, 2005

hey WB "why was it only 2000 years ago God decided he needed a son to teach lessons to the people?" as per what they though me (former Catholic) the reason of Jesus coming was not to teach us lessons of love etc at least it was not the priority.........

suposely he came to redeem mankind of the original sin......the one of being born with knowledge of good/evil or being arrogant and trying to be LIKE God.....

therefore by offering his life he redeemed us all and NOW we can be saved and go to heaven and THAT was the master plan

that's the reasoning behind the "does somebody that was not baptised go to heaven?" and the endless list of "but what if he/she dies immediately after birth etc"

SUPOSELY anyone can baptise (sp?) someone in case the person was not baptised and its in imminent danger of death........

WildBill · May 28, 2005

Interesting. I was brainwashed for a couple of years because my mother didn't trust the public schools and sent me to a Baptist school. After I moved and did go to public school I realized it was something akin to a fascist state and swore off religion ever since. I still can't believe what I believed when every day the first hour of our day was taken up in bible study.

All the stuff I took for granted I questioned and that one I asked about why Jesus showed up about 2000 years ago, according to the Bible, always baffled me. It was as if nothing important happened for many thousands of years and then God got bored and decided he would show off for awhile with the son who could take a basket of fish and bread and feed thousands, among other feats. Of course Jews believe a man of hundreds of years of age led a group of people to safety by parting a sea. Muslims believe so many interesting things I would have to write a couple articles on them. All these three major religions leave you saying "hmmm" when you aren't so entangled in them that you can't see clearly.

wolfie_cr · May 28, 2005

This will sound ridiculous but the very reason I can think freely is because of the dominics. They showed me their philosopy and clearly laid out to me the path to follow it. And with that...........the free will of thinking why things are the way we PERCEIVE them...........my teachers were mostly very intelligent........and knew to let the leash go.............I could probably have a very nice fight with my very own philosophy teachers right now and that's NICE. I am glad I am not being burn right now or told "you are with us or against us " as its the current EXTREMIST mood today